[Photo provided to China Daily]

Wu Shi taught at the Hubei Institute of Fine Arts in Wuhan after retiring from army. He revisited villages in which he'd once lived as a soldier. There, he used art to showcase the settlements and landscapes-this time, in the form of Chinese ink paintings. Dozens of these pieces are also on show at the National Museum of Art exhibition.

Zheng the curator says the character shi, meaning stone in Chinese, from Wu Shi's name perfectly demonstrates his attitude toward art.

"He came from the village where Qi Baishi lived and said that, as a child, he often watched Qi painting. He chose shi for his name from Qi's name to show his respect for him," she says.

"Also, the character indicates a fighting spirit and integrity, both of which he embraced throughout his life."